Signaling system.



PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

P. WINSOR. SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.11, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l Q fiffizumea. 172 06 7250).

No. 805,108. I PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

P. WINSOR. SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 11 1905. 2 SHEET$ sHBET 2 "W v Wa'izzawvu Ina er dai".

fwwmw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL WINSOR, OF WESTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed August 11, 1905. Serial No- 273,765.

in Signaling Systems, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a. specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a system of signaling especially designed and adapted to be used on trains composed of a plurality of electrically-propelled cars, whereby a startingsignal may be given to the motorman or driver when the doors or gates of the cars are in their closed position.

The present invention has for its object to provide a system of the class described which is simple and efficient and one in which false signals are avoided. For this purpose I employ an electric circuit which is extended through the train and includes circuit-controllers at the different entrances to the cars which govern the operation of a bell or other signal. T o avoid false signals due to a shortcircuit or an accidental ground, the battery or source of current-supply is located at the end of the car or train opposite to that at which the bell or signal is located. The battery or source of current-supply is detachably connected in the bell-circuit, so that when the car or train is running in either direction .the said battery may be located at the rear end of the car or train. The trainline may be provided with a movable section located between adjacent cars and governing a circuit-controller which is operated by the guard located between adjacent cars of a train, as will be described. These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a dia rammatic view of a train of two cars provi ed with a signal system embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a detail in elevation of adjacent ends of the cars shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a diagrammatic view of a train of two cars in which the circuit-controllers at the end entrances are controlled by the doors; Fig. 4, a detail in elevation of adjacentends of the cars shown in Fig. 3, and Figs. 5 and 6 details to be referred to.

In the present instance I have represented the invention as applied to a train of two cars a b, which may be such as are employed on electrically-operated roads, each of the cars being represented as a motor-car. The cars a b are provided with entrances, which in the type of car represented in Fig. 1 are located in the sides of the car and at the platforms 0 and are closed by sliding side doors d and gates e, which latter may be such as now commonly employed.

The cars a b are provided with a signalingcircuit which consists of a train-line wire f, extended through each car and provided, as

shown in Fig. 1, with circuit-controllers at each end of each car. As represented in Fig. 1, each car is provided with two separate circuit-controllers, one of which governs a signal, represented as a bell g, and the other of which governs the circuit of the trainlinef.

The trainline circuit controller consists, as herein shown, of a movable terminal, herein represented as a spring-arm h, and a fixed terminal 2', with which the spring-arm coopcrates, as will be described. The spring-arm h is normally out of contact with the terminal i and is adapted to be engaged therewith by a flexible conductor j, extended between the cars and forming a movable section of the train-line. The train-line in each car may have connected with it a stationary hook Z, to which one end of the conductor-section j is connected, the other end of which is joined to the spring h of the next car, as represented in Fig. 2, or said flexible section of the train line may be connected with the spring-arms of adjacent cars. I

I may prefer to employ the stationary hooks Z and to connect one end of the flexible section with the hook of one car and the other end to the spring h of the next car, so that a shorter downward movement of the movable section is required to complete the circuit of thetrain-line and so that the said movable section may be elevated above and out of the way of the heads of the passengers when not in use.

The movable section of the train-line is especially applicable to cars having platforms provided with gates which are manually operated by the guard; but when the invention is used on that type of car which is provided with end side doors (1, as represented in Fig. 3, the train-linesf may be carried up through the roof of the car and through the pipes m and joined by the coupling n, which latter may be of any suitable construction. The arrangement shown in Fig. 1 enables the signaling system to be applied to cars now commonly in use at a minimum expense.

The circuit-controllers operated by the side doors (1 may be of any suitable or desired construction; but in the present instance I have shown one construction which I may prefer and which consists of a contact plate or member 0, carried by the door, and contact-plungers p projecting from a suitable housing r, whic h is secured to the jamb or casing s of the door, and which are normally projected from said housing by springs t, located in sockets u, and to which the train: line f is electrically connected, so that when a door (1 is closed the contact-plate completes the circuit between the plungers or mem bers p g.

In the present instance each car a b is represented as a motor-car, and each is provided at its opposite ends within the space or cornpartment reserved for the motorman with an audible signal 9 and with a switch control ling the operation of said signal. The audible signal 9 is represented as an electricallyoperated bell, which may be of any suitable construction, such as a vibrating bell, whose magnet is energized by current from a battery 12, which is detachably secured to circuit-terminals 13 14, affixed to a suitable support 15, which may be a portion of the car-body. The switch may be of any suitable construction and comprises a blade or movable member 16, which cooperates with a fixed member or terminal 17. The movable member 16 of the switch is connected. by the wire 18 with the battery-terminal 13, the other terminal 14 of which is connected to the ground 19 by the wire 20, to which the fixed terminal 17 of the switch is joined by the wire 21.

The magnet of the bell g is in multiple with the train-line wire f and with the wire 18, one end of the coil of said bell-magnet being connected to the train-line wire f by the wire 22 and the other end of said coil being connected to the wire 18 by the wire 23. The switches 16 throughout the train are opened except that one at the forward end of the train, and the switch at the forward end of the train is closed, as represented at the right in Figs. 1 and 3. The battery 12 is located at the rear end of the train rather than at the forward end in order to safeguard against false signals, as will be described, and for this purpose the battery is made detachable from the terminals 13 14, so that it can be carried from one end of the train to the other, according to which way the train is running. The train-linef at the rear end of the train is connected by the coupler 25 with the positive pole of the battery. The circuit-controllers at the entrances to the cars are included in series in the train-line, so that the circuit of the signal is not completed until all the doors or gates are closed, whereupon the signal will be given to the motorman when the cord 7' is pulled that the doors are closed and the train is ready to start.

The circuit of the starting-signal may be traced in Fig. 1 as follows: from the positive pole of the battery 12 by the coupler 25, train-line wire f of car I), thence by the hook Z, conductor j, spring h, and terminal t to train-linef of car a, thence through the magnet of the bell g at the forward end of car a to wire 18, thence by said wire, switch-blade 16, terminal 17, and wires 21 20 to the ground 19, thence by wire 20 at the rear end of the train to the negative terminal 14 and negative pole of the battery 12.

As soon as the train is started the guard releases the conductor and the spring h is retracted, thereby opening the train-line circuit.

The circuit of the starting-signal in the system shown in Fig. 3 is the same as above described, except that the train-line includes the circuit-controllers at the end side doors and the coupling n.

By locating the battery at the end of the train opposite to that at which the motor man is stationed the signaling system is safeguarded against false signals in case of an accidental ground or ashort-circuit, inasmuch as in either case the signal would fail to respond with all the circuit-controllers closed. To illustrate, let it be supposed that the train-line is accidentally grounded at an intermediate point, as represented by the dotted line 30, Figs. 1 and 3. In this case it will be seen that even with the circuit-controllers closed the signal at the forward end of the train is short-circuited, which short-circuit may be traced as follows: from the positive pole of the battery 12 by the coupler 25, train-line j, wire 30 to ground, thence by wire 20 and negative terminal-14 to the negative pole of the battery. The motorman is thus warned that the signaling system is out of order. The motorman closes the switch 16 in the forward cab when the train makes a stop at a station, at which time the doors or gates are opened and the circuit of the bell is interrupted at said doors or gates, which circuit is again completed by the guard operating the movable section 7' in the system shown in Fig. 1 or when the last door is closed in the system shown in Fig. 3.

To insure the battery being located at the rear end of the train, provision is made for short-circuiting the signal 9 when the battery is left at the forward end of the train and the motormans switch is closed. For this purpose the wire 20, to which the bell and switch-blade are connected, is joined to the battery-terminal 14, so that if the battery should be left at the forward end of the train, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1,

the bell would not respond to the closure of the doors. The short-circuit for the bell in this case may be traced in Fig. 1- as follows:

from the positive pole of the battery 12 to the positive terminal 13, thence by wire 18, switch-blade 16, terminal 17, wires 21 20 to the negative terminal 14,, and thence to the negative pole of the battery. In the case of operating or motor cars a bell and switch are located in the cab at each end of the said car, so that the latter maybe run as an operatingcar in either direction. In the case of a nonoperating or trailer car it is unnecessary to provide the switches and bells, as in the operating-car, and only the train-line and grounded wire are required. So, also, it will be seen that if the battery were located at the front end of the train and the train-line accidentally grounded while one or more of the doors were open a false starting-signal might be given to the motorman under these circumstances, which could not happen in the present system.

I claim- 1. In a signaling system of the class described, in combination, a train-line circuit provided with a ground connection at its opposite ends, a plurality of circuit-controllers included in series in said train-line, a signal included in said train-line circuit at one end thereof, a switch controlling said signal, and a battery included in said train-line at the opposite end thereof, substantially as described.

2. In a signaling system of the class described, in combination, a train-line circuit, a plurality of circuit-controllers included in series in said train-line, a signal included in said train-line circuit at one end thereof, battery-terminals, a switch controlling said signal, and a connection between said switch and one of said battery-terminals to shortcircuit said signal when the switch is closed and the battery is connected with said terminals, substantially as described.

3. In a signaling system of the class described, in combination, a car, a train-line circuit extended through the car, a signal at one end thereof, a battery located at the opposite end thereof, a plurality of circuit-controllers in said train-line, battery-terminals located at opposite ends of said car, a switch connected withone set of said battery-terminals to short-circuit said signal when the battery is connected with the set of terminals adjacent to said signal, substantially as described.

4. In a signaling system of the class described, in combination, a plurality of cars, a train-line wire extended through each of said cars, a battery located in one car and connected with the train-line thereof, a sig nal located in another car, a movable conductor-section extended between the cars, and a circuit-controller for said train-line operated by movement of said conductorsection, substantially as described.

5. In a signaling system of the class described, in combination, a plurality of cars, a train-line wire extended through each of said cars and provided with a circuit-terminal, a movable contact member cooperating with the terminal of a train-line for one of said cars, and a movable conductor electrically connected with the train-line of one car and joined to the movable contact member of another car to effect engagement of said contact member with its cooperating trainline terminal, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing *witnesses.

. PAUL WINSOR.

Witnesses:

' JAs. H. CHURCHILL,

J. MURPHY. 

